The Impact of the ADA on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community

***1.5 hours of continuing education available***

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) enacted a series of protections for people with disabilities. Encompassed within the ADA are language access regulations which drastically changed access to employment and education for Deaf and Hard of Hearing people, as well as greatly impacted the legal system and public spaces. In this webinar you will learn about the impact of the ADA as it relates to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community, and will be able to identify a few actions you can take to ally yourself with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community to ensure the ADA is followed within your own spaces.

Participants will be able to:

• Examine policy changes related to language access as a result of the Americans with Disabilities Act
• Discuss the impact of the Americans with Disabilities Act on employment and education opportunities for Deaf individuals.
• Describe changes within the criminal justice and legal system that occurred as a result of the Americans with Disabilities Act
• Identify current challenges related to language access and what participants can do to address them.

This training is $15 for the general public, and $45 for individuals seeking Continuing Education credits.

*NOTE: This is not a sign language training. You will not learn any sign language in this training.

Group registration is available! You may purchase up to 20 tickets. Each ticket requires a registration form and you must have the acutal participant's name and email on the registration. For example, if you register 5 people, you will fill out 5 registration forms and must include the individual's names and emails so that they receive their tickets. Do not put your own name and email on all 5 registration forms. 

This training has a participant cap.

Please note the timezone. This training will take place:

11:45am-1:15pm Pacific Standard Time

12:45-2:15pm Mountain Standard Time

1:45-3:15pm Central Standard Time

2:45-4:15pm Eastern Standard Time

About the facilitator:

Alma Pizarro-Gould was born Deaf and raised in El Paso, Texas. After she went to Texas School for the Deaf she continued her education in Human Services at El Paso Community College. She moved to Austin, Texas where she worked with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community providing advocacy and training. She has worked as a Deafness Resource Specialist at The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Center in El Paso, Texas then moved to Corpus Christi, where she worked as an advocate there.

She later on moved to Austin again and has had many years of experience in providing training throughout the community in Texas. Ms. Pizarro-Gould is an experienced trainer and presenter to the community with topics related to Deafness including: Deaf and Hard of Hearing Sensitivity Issues, ADA Law, Client Rights, Deaf Culture, Communication Issues and Resources. She has provided services to the Deaf for over 20 years with various Deaf community agencies and organizations.

Ms. Pizarro-Gould worked very closely with DARS, HHSC, DPFS and various community service providers to fulfill her passion of breaking down barriers that affect the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community members to ensure that they have full, equal access to communication and services. She also used to serve as a member of the Coastal Bend Silence Deaf Club, National Association of the Deaf, Texas Latino Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and on the Board for Texas Association of the Deaf.